This is not a list of the “best bars in Amsterdam”. It is the list of bars we actually drink in, which is a different and more useful thing. We live here, most of these are a short cycle from our front door, and every one has an address and an honest note about why we go.
Contents
If you want a Michelin-starred cocktail programme, plenty of other people have written that. This is terraces, brown cafés, canal-side afternoons and where to take people after work.
How Drinking in Amsterdam Actually Works
Four things that catch visitors out, and knowing them will improve your trip more than any individual bar recommendation.
Vrijmibo, and why the city empties into bars on Friday afternoon
Vrijdagmiddagborrel, shortened to vrijmibo, is Friday afternoon drinks and it is close to a national institution. It starts early, often around five, and it is the single best time of the week to be in an Amsterdam bar. If you are here on a Friday, do not save your drinking for ten o’clock.
The same logic applies midweek: after-work drinks are a real fixture here, and the bars with west-facing terraces fill from about half five. Several of the places below are on this list precisely because they get the evening sun.
The terrace is the point
Dutch bar culture is built around the terras. The moment the temperature is tolerable, every outdoor table in the city is taken, and locals will sit outside in weather that visitors find frankly optimistic. Blankets and heaters are standard.
Practical consequence: on the first warm evening of the year you will not get a canal-side table after six without luck. Go early or go midweek.
Brown cafés
A bruin café is the Amsterdam pub: old, wood-panelled, walls darkened by a century of smoke, usually small and often family-run. They are the most characteristic drinking spaces in the country and the ones worth seeking out over any new cocktail bar.
Ordering
- A standard beer is a small glass, not a pint. Ask for a vaasje. The head on it is deliberate and not a swindle.
- Borrelhapjes are the bar snacks. Bitterballen are the default and they are always hotter inside than you think.
- Tipping is light. Service is included, so rounding up is plenty.
- Many places are card-only. Some Dutch bars still take only local debit cards, so carry a backup.
Some are already on this LGBT list
Regular bars & cafés
Regular | Rooftop Guide | Map
Café Orloff Amsterdam –
Kadijksplein 11, 1018 AC
orloffamsterdam.nl
Great bar for the summer with a large outdoor terrace.
From our place it’s about a 5 min walk.
Nate’s –
Utrechtsestraat 19
nate.amsterdam
Great bar with a large terrace that gets the evening sunshine so great for after work beers. Previously known as Brug34.
Hannekes Boom –
Dijksgracht 4, 1019 BS
hannekesboom.nl
Another lovely bar for the summer with a large outdoor area and great views over oosterdok and NEMO.
Cafe Stevens (and Nieuwmarkt) –
Geldersekade 123I, 1011 EN
cafestevens.nl
Nieuwmarkt is a great place full of bars that get the sun in the evening during the summer. Stevens is nice for lunch too.
Vesper –
Vinkenstraat 57, 1013 JM
vesperbar.nl
Cocktail bar with some options for takeaway – a james bond style cocktain in a takeaway bottle.
Foodhallen –
Bellamyplein 51, 1053 AT
foodhallen.nl
Does what it says on the tin, a hall filled with food. Think a food court but better food and drinks.
Frenzi –
Zwanenburgwal 232, 1011 JH
frenzi-restaurant.nl
A great neighbourhood place for a bottle of wine at sundown or a coffee in the morning.
Café de Sluyswacht –
Jodenbreestraat 1, 1011 NG
sluyswacht.nl
Nice café with views along Oudeschans from the terrace at the back. Amsterdam is not known for it’s service and even then I would say service here is hit and miss. But nice views so…
Bar TwentySeven –
Dam 27 – 1012 JS
bartwentyseven.com
Fancy hotel cocktail bar with views over Dam Square. I recommend the new interpretation of the moscow mule.
Oriole –
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197, 1012 EX
oriolebistro.nl
Fancy hotel cocktail bar. Located in Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam. The Mystic Garden is delicious. Also a restaurant and there is a courtyard in the summer for brunches.
Pllek –
T.T. Neveritaweg 59, 1033 WB
pllek.nl
Great bar for the summer with a large outdoor space and views over the river. Swim at your own risk.
Take the 906 ferry to NDSM (it’s free and take 10 mins) and it’s about a 5 min walk.
map –
Rooftop Bars in Amsterdam
A’dam Lookout – (PAID entry ) –
Overhoeksplein 5, 1031 KS Amsterdam
adamlookout.com/ | restaurantmoon.nl
Located on top of the A’DAM Tower in Amsterdam North, A’DAM LOOKOUT is mainly known as an observation deck and we recommend it for that also but there is a lot more to it.
A ticket to the Sky Deck will also give you access to the outdoor rooftop bar, where you can enjoy the views with some snacks and drinks. On the floors below you also find the indoor restaurants Madam and Moon.
SkyLounge Amsterdam LuminAir –
Double Tree Hilton Rooftop, Oosterdoksstraat 4, 1011 DK
luminairamsterdam.com
Expect quite steep prices, but also a great vibe in the evening as it is a hotel bar after all, also a fabulous view as it’s considered one of the best rooftop bars in Amsterdam. Realistically it’s central and easy to find. Plus since the rebrand, you can now make reservations so you can book ahead instead of standing in line, especially for sunset or a Friday/Saturday evening.
Zoku Amsterdam –
Weesperstraat 105, 1018 VN
livezoku.com/amsterdam/eat-drink/
Another hotel rooftop bar. This one is on top of the trendy and social apartment hotel Zoku Amsterdam where you find a large selection of rooftop spaces. It’s not as touristy as the Skylounge but then the view is less good being on the 6th floor on a main busy road. Although it does have a great view of the skinny bridge.
W Lounge at W Amsterdam –
Spuistraat 175, 1012 VN
marriott.com/en-us/hotels/amswh-w-amsterdam/dining/
Like the SkyLounge at the Hilton expect quite steep prices, but also a great vibe in the evening as it is a hotel bar. Definitely not here for the view but to have cocktails and atmosphere. The dress code is smart casual.
Top –
Drinking in Amsterdam: Your Questions Answered
Where do locals go for after-work drinks in Amsterdam?
Bars with west-facing terraces, from about half five. Friday afternoon drinks, vrijmibo, is the big one and starts earlier than visitors expect. Nate’s on Utrechtsestraat and Cafe Orloff on Kadijksplein are two of our regulars for exactly this.
What is a brown cafe?
A bruin cafe is the traditional Dutch pub: small, wood-panelled, dark with age, usually old and often family-run. They are the most distinctive drinking spaces in the Netherlands and worth prioritising over anywhere new.
What should I order in an Amsterdam bar?
A vaasje, the standard small beer. The thick head is intentional. Order bitterballen alongside it and let them cool before you bite.
Do I need to tip in Amsterdam?
Service is included, so no. Rounding up, or five to ten percent for something special, is generous and normal.
Can I drink outside on the canals?
Drinking alcohol in public streets is restricted in much of the centre and enforced. Terraces, parks in practice, and boats are where it happens. Do not wander the canal ring with an open beer.
When is terrace season?
Roughly April to October, though locals will sit outside under a heater and a blanket well beyond that. The first genuinely warm evening of spring is chaos and every canal-side table goes by six.
Where to Stay
The canal ring puts you within walking distance of most of these. Oost and De Pijp are better value and full of neighbourhood bars where you will be the only visitor, which is usually the better evening.
More of our Amsterdam: every gay bar in the city, gay restaurants, where we eat and 101 things to do.